


A New Perspective

by SociallyAwkwardFox (Maze_Runner_Fae)



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Robin: Son of Batman (Comics)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Character Development, F/F, F/M, Growth, M/M, Relationship Advice, Romance, brother bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-31 06:36:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8568004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maze_Runner_Fae/pseuds/SociallyAwkwardFox
Summary: Damian Wayne was taught that love is a weakness he could not afford. Tim and Jason help him see things from a different perspective.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Quick warning: There is a brief part at the beginning that vaguely describes a compound fracture. I don't go into great detail about it, but I thought I'd include a warning for any squeamish folks out there. Skip the "He nearly gagged.." paragraph if you want to completely avoid it.

An angry huff left Damian’s mouth as he jumped to the next rooftop, so he could keep up with the fighting in the warehouse below. He could see two red flashes and a blue one taking out thug after thug with flawless precision. Every fiber of his being yearned to be alongside them, but he’d been given strict orders to stay out of sight just in case anyone tried to make a run for it. He had tried to push the task off to Tim and had received a long lecture about working as a team, even if it meant being stuck with the boring tasks.

The fight below him picked up in intensity, as a big group of thugs appeared out of a side door the floor above where the three were fighting. From his perch, he could just make out Drake’s head snapping up in the direction of the men and his mouth moving frantically. The next second Red Robin sprung off Red Hood’s thigh and used the momentum to twist up onto the metal walkway. Drake brought his bo staff up just in time to block a wild punch, then he jabbed the man in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards.

It looked like Damian’s night would end without any action on his end, when a huge behemoth of a man came lumbering out of a door behind Drake. Upon taking a closer look, Damian realized exactly why the man hadn’t been in the same room as the others. Strapped to his chest was a bulky bomb vest that already looked to be active, if the red numbers were anything to go by.

“Drake, abandon the upper level.”

“Rog-”

Before Drake could jump over the railing, an explosion rocked the building and Drake vanished from sight in the blast. All Damian could see in the destruction was dust in the air and piles of rubble where there was once open space. The first survivor to struggle out of the mess had on a red helmet, now missing a large piece that had once been covering the man’s left eye. Todd immediately dove back into the debris pile he had come from and pulled out a familiar black and blue figure.

“Anything broken?”

“No, little dizzy. Probably a concussion and plenty of bruises.”

“We’ll get A to patch you up. Robin, any sign of Red?”

Damian looked critically down below for any sign of Drake, but he couldn’t spot even the faintest hint of where he might be. “Negative.”

“Shit. Red! Red, I really, really need you to answer! Do you hear me, Red?”

“Jay?” Drake’s voice barely carried over the crackling on the line, but Damian was sure he could make out the sound of him struggling to breath. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, Timbo. It’s me. How are you feeling?”

“Floaty. Hurts. Can’t breathe.”

The sound of Todd swearing under his breath filled the line. “Can you tell me where you are? Can you see anything?”

“My arm… hanging off. Can’t move my head.”

“Okay. Don’t move. We’re going to find you. Robin, can you see his arm?”

“Not on this side.” Damian grappled his way to a building directly across from the one he had been standing on and set about looking for Drake. His eyes carefully looked over the destroyed walkway, until he caught sight of a pale arm dangling over the edge on part of the walkway still up. He was about to tell the others, when he noticed some movement not far from where Tim was. “Red Robin is on the side near the old church. There is movement not far from him.”

“Got it.”

“Hurry, Hood.”

“I’m going as fast as I can!”

“They are going to bring the entire walkway down if you do not hurry.”

“You think I don’t know that?”

“Jay?” The walkway creaked ominously over Tim’s voice, then a pained noise ripped out of Tim’s throat as the walkway began to collapse further. “Ja-Jay!”

Without thinking about it, Damian took a step closer to the ledge and took his grapple out so he could pull himself towards the wreckage. He stopped right before he could press the trigger and focused his efforts on trying to locate Drake again. It took mere seconds for Damian to see where Drake had ended up in the chaos of the walkway breaking. Most of his body was dangling helplessly off part of the walkway still intact, while his lower body was pinned down by some rubble. Even from a distance, Damian could see a thick coating of blood covering his face and large rips in his body armor.

“Please, please, please, please, please, please.”

“Timbers, look at me. You’re not going to fall. I’m right here. I’ll catch you.” Todd reached his hands up until Tim’s were resting flat on them, then pushed up on his tiptoes. “I’m going to take some of your weight and Damian is going to get up there and figure out how to get you out. That sound good?”

“Yeah. You’re not going to drop me.”

“Promise. Why don’t you tell me about that new science museum you want to drag me out to Metropolis to see? I caught on to all those hints you were leaving me.”

“Literature and fighting aren’t the only interesting things.”

“Obviously. You forgot to mention yourself.”

“So cheesy, Jay.”

“It’s why you love me, Tim-Tam.” Todd’s head turned to look at where Damian was still perched on the rooftop and he motioned with his head for him to get moving. “You know you only had to ask about the museum. I would have gone with you whenever you wanted.”

Damian drowned out the sound of Todd attempting to keep Drake calm, so he could concentrate on getting onto the walkway without causing it to fall again. He carefully grappled onto one of the still hanging skylights, then slowly lowered himself down onto the walkway. The sound of his boots hitting metal could barely be heard over the sound of creaking and groaning. When he finally reached Tim, he gently lowered himself down so he had a better view of the debris covering him.

He nearly gagged at what was clearly a compound fracture somewhere in the vicinity of Drake’s ankle, but he made sure to keep his composure. The last thing he wanted to do was accidently freak Drake out while he was concussed and liable to do something potentially dangerous. After pulling his attention away from the bright white of bone, it was plain to see Drake had been lucky. The rocks covering his legs had managed to fall in a way that wasn’t putting any pressure on them. Drake was only hanging because the angle of his legs was keeping his body pinned between the debris and the walkway.

“I am not sure I will be able to remove Drake by myself. Grayson will need to help if you do not want to injury Drake further.”

“Don’t move. I’m coming up.” The walkway gave another ominous groan as Grayson graceful pulled himself up next to Damian. “This is going to be complicated. We should try to do something about that so it doesn’t get worse when we get him out.”

“All I have is gauze. We might be able to use some rebar as a temporary splint. It would provide some stability.”

“Good plan. I’ve got some antiseptic spray. We can at least spray down the rebar and some of the wound.”

“Drake may pass out. That would complicate things.”

Before Damian could argue further, Grayson leaned down to spray down the edges of Drake’s wound and did the same with a piece of rebar he pried out of a pile of rubble nearby. He then placed the rebar on the opposite side of Drake’s fracture and looked at Damian expectedly. Damian glared at the older man, but still leaned forward to wrap gauze around Drake’s leg and the rebar. Once he was sure the gauze and rebar would hold, he leaned back so he could turn his focus to the mess still trapping Drake’s legs.

“Now the hard part. Time to play some Jenga. I think if we take out that piece and that piece at the same time, we can keep it from dropping on him.”

“That appears to be the best option.”

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

They both quickly lifted the two piece of debris away from Drake and threw them over the side of the walkway. The rest of the rubble still covering Drake barely moved, but Damian could tell it would start to shift soon if they didn’t move quickly. He grabbed a hold of one of the larger pieces and motioned for Grayson to do the same on one that would cave in when Damian moved his. The two made quick work of removing most of the debris, then warned Todd to get ready as they pulled away the last pieces still keeping him there.

“Got you, Timmers. Still with me?”

“Think ‘m gonna sleep now.”

“Not yet.” After Damian jumped down, he stilled at the sight of Todd cradling Drake tightly to his chest with a tender look in his exposed eye. “You know the rules. No sleep until we can get your head checked out. I know you’re thick headed, but rules are rules.”

“I think you’re confusing me with you.”

“Still sassing me. You can’t be that bad.”

A private smile appeared on Drake’s face, making Damian feel like he was trespassing on a private moment. “Someone has to. You’d get too big a head if I didn’t.”

“Love you, too, sweetheart. Let’s get you some medical attention.”

“’Kay, Jay.”

* * *

 

Damian’s brow furrowed more and more the longer he watched Todd sitting patiently by Drake’s bedside, reading a book like he did it all the time. The only times Todd hadn’t been by his side was during his check-up and the few minutes he took to shower every day. He’d even missed two nights of patrol in favor of staying by Drake’s bedside, even though Dr. Thompkins had warned him it would most likely take several days for Drake to awaken. It simultaneously puzzled Damian and made him aspire for something like that in his life (though he wasn’t sure why).

“Are you going to keep standing in the doorway or are you going to pull up a chair?”

For a moment Damian considered scoffing and leaving, but his curiosity got the better of him and he pulled up a chair next to Jason. “I do not understand.”

“Understand what?”

“Growing up mother taught me that love is a dangerous thing. Letting people close to you only ends in pain. Your relationship with Dra-Tim seems destined to fail, but something about it is…”

“Right? Inevitable? Makes you want the same thing?”

“Does your relationship not suffer during times like this?” Damian kept his attention focused on Drake, so he didn’t have to look Todd directly in the eye when speaking. “He will be unable to do fieldwork for nearly a year. Will that not strain things?”

“Honestly, kid? It depends. Some couples break under stress. Something tragic happens, like a life changing injury or a miscarriage, and it tears the relationship apart. People stop communicating or they cope in a way that makes things difficult or they lose the things that they had in common with each other. Whatever the case, it happens.”

“How do you know it will not happen to you?”

“Tim and I’s relationship didn’t exactly get off to the best start. We worked through that and it made our relationship stronger. We understand each other. We know loss and pain and loneliness. Something like this is nothing in comparison. Yes, I’m probably going to have to find ways to make sure he doesn’t push himself too hard, but I have to do that all the time anyways.”

As subtly as he could, Damian snuck a glance at the look on Todd’s face and wasn’t surprised to see a fond smile on his lips. “Do you ever think it would be easier if you did not fall in love with him? It is an obvious weakness that could be exploited.”

“It’s always easier to not do the hard thing, but you’ll never have much of a life if you always shy away from the hard things. It’ll be boring and lonely, kid. Trust me. If you find the right person, it’ll always be worth it in the end.”

“How-” Damian was cut off by the sound of Drake groaning softly and fidgeting around on the mattress he’d been lying perfectly still on for the past couple of days. His blue eyes flickered open sleepily and he appeared to not even be aware of Damian’s presence in the room. He was completely focused on Jason hovering above him with a soft expression on his face. The love in their eyes was plain to see and for once, Damian didn’t turn his attention away from them.

“Hi.”

“Hey there, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?”

“Drugs.”

Todd chuckled, causing Drake to give a woozy smile and let out what could only be described as a small giggle. “Yes. Leslie has you on the good stuff. Do you remember what happened?”

“Bomb, head, couldn’t breathe.”

“That pretty much sums it up. You got a pretty nasty concussion along with some fractured ribs that punctured your right lung and a compound fracture. You’ve now got some screws keeping your fibula in place. That means taking it easy.”

“Okay. You hurt?”

“Nah. I got lucky. A few scraps and some bruises. Dick got a concussion, but he’s already back to his annoying self or so I’ve been told

“You sleep?” The concern in Drake’s voice covered over the slur of the drugs being pumped into his system.

“Course. Made sure I had the comfiest seat in the house so I could.”

“Good. Book?”

“Been through a couple already. I saved The Hobbit for you. As soon as you’re not drugged up to your eyeballs, I’ll get started reading it.”

“Best.”

“I’m sure you’ll think the complete opposite when I’m forcing you to rest, but I’ll take the compliment while I can. Think you can stay up long enough for Leslie to get here and look you over. She should be here in ten minutes.”

There was a heavy blink in response, then Drake nodded his head and let his eyes drift around the room until they landed on Damian. “Dami’s here.”

“Yeah. We were talking before you woke up. Did you want to talk to him? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind reading to you, while I go get you a cup of ice chips.”

“No reading just talk. Fall asleep.”

“Okay. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Todd stood from his chair and gave Damian a look that clearly said he expected Damian to play along. “Make sure he doesn’t fall asleep and if I get back to find him a mess, I’m going to kick your ass. Got it?”

“Do not be ridiculous, Todd. I can watch him.”

“Talk to him. Maybe he can answer whatever questions you still have.”

“Doubtful.”

* * *

 

“Damian? Damian?” A small hand shoved the arm Damian had been resting his head on while he slept and did just enough wake him up. “Damian, what are you doing here?”

“Todd was needed on patrol tonight. He left me to watch over you.”

“Right. The bomb. How bad is it?”

“Concussion, fractured ribs, punctured lung, compound fracture. Leslie thinks you should have a year of recovery before you get back to patrols, but she seems to think you will last six months max.”

“Great. Obviously Jason’s fine, but what about Dick? He was the only other one caught in the blast, right?”

“Yes and he is fine. He had a concussion, but he is already back. You are the only one with a long-term injury.”

Drake gave a brisk nod, then trailed his eyes over Damian like he was looking for something. “So why are you stuck here with me? No one else available?”

“Todd and I have been talking. He thought you might have more insight than he can offer on my questions.”

“Oh, what questions exactly?”

“Your relationship appears doomed to failure, but Todd assures me it is worth it. Losing you would destroy him and the same goes for you. It is a weakness.”

“Love is…” The chuckle Drake let out sounded rough because of his dry throat. “The one thing all movies and books get right is the fact love is complicated. It’s difficult to explain. Everyone is different. They need different things for a relationship to be successful. I can’t tell you what it’s like to be in love because it’ll probably be different for you. I can tell you why I love Jason and why you’re wrong about the destroying us thing.”

“How could I possibly be wrong? You rely on each other.”

“Yes, we do. I didn’t say losing Jason wouldn’t hurt me or the opposite way around. It would be painful, like a part of me was missing, but it wouldn’t destroy me because I know Jason wouldn’t want it to. He wants me to be happy, just like I want him to be happy. Wallowing for the rest of my life if Jason died, would make me feel like I was disgracing his memory. It’d hurt, but I’d do what made me happy because it’s what Jason would want.”

As Drake’s words sank in, Damian felt like a small child wanting desperately to understand something completely out of his grasp. “Why do you love him so much?”

“Come here. Don’t give me that look. I know we don’t normally get along, but I can’t sit up and this is more of a face-to-face conversation, not a you towering over me conversation.”

“Fine.”

“I’ll make sure everyone knows I forced you to do this.”

“Do not tell anyone.” Damian propped his head on one of the millions spare pillows surrounding Drake and turned so he was looking him directly in the eye. “Explain.”

“You’d think it’d be easy to explain why you love someone, but it’s incredibly difficult. It’s hard to make people get exactly what it is. You know that feeling you get during a freefall? Like your heart is in your throat and you can feel every nerve in your body. That’s what being with Jason is like for me. It’s always thrilling. Most people hear that and think it sounds terrifying, but it works for us. It’s the kind of love we both need and crave, but there are thousands of little things that make me love him.”

“Like what?”

“His love of literature. The fact he’s always coming up with ridiculous nicknames for me. He knows exactly how I like my coffee and stops me when I start to push myself too hard. He’s perfect to cuddle with because he’s ridiculously huge compared to me, like a human heated pillow. The fact he can reach the top shelf is a definite plus. He jokes around with Bart when he comes over and gives Kon advice when he’s struggling with his parentage. Jason always knows what my next move is in battle and trusts me to take care of myself. He trusts my instincts and always lets me drag him to places I want to go. Is that enough or do you want more?”

“I want that.”

An abnormally kind smile appeared on Drake’s face and he pressed his forehead against Damian’s, like close brothers would do. “You’ve got the same chance as everybody else to find it. The only thing you have to do is open yourself up to the possibility. I doubt you’ll find something exactly like what Jason and I have, but you’ll find the kind of love you need. Maybe it’ll only ever be platonic or maybe you’ll fall in love with your best friend. It takes time. Don’t rush.”

“Mother would not be pleased.”

“Contrary to popular belief, mothers don’t always know best. Janet would have never liked Jason. She was always worried about status and doing things the proper way. If she was still alive, she’d be horrified that I’m dating some street rat that wears leather jackets and smokes. I’m sure she would have done whatever she could to make sure I ended up with some high society girl, that would have never made me happy. Don’t worry about what Talia will think, just make sure you’re happy.”

“You should rest. Todd will be furious if you do not take care of yourself.”

“I know. You should rest, too. It’s not every day you get a night off.”

* * *

 

The first time Drake walked again, Todd was there to catch him when he stumbled because his left leg could barely hold his body weight. Damian watched them the whole time, no longer feeling like an intruder when he did so, and saw what Drake had been trying to explain to him. No matter how frustrated Tim got at not being able to move well, Todd continued to encourage and push him. They never got angry at each other or blamed the other for what happened. At the end of the short session, Drake fell willingly against Todd’s chest and accepted a chaste kiss from Todd.

After that, Damian started trying to understand other relationships. To his surprise, the looks between Gordon and Grayson now made sense to them. He could see the longing to have what they once did and the uncertainty over whether it was for the best to try. He noticed the same uncertainty between his father and Kyle, but didn’t bother to understand further than that. Brown and Cain’s relationship no longer seemed doomed to fail due to their differences, because Damian could now see they had more in common than he originally thought. It now made sense to him that Brown acted more obnoxious than normal when she was trying to draw unwanted attention away from Cain and the other was easily able to calm Brown down when she got too heated.

When Drake’s friends came to visit him, Damian found himself noticing things he never would have before he saw love as something other than a weakness. Reyes and Allen were tiptoeing around each other and he couldn’t comprehend why their friends hadn’t done something about it. It was annoying to watch them dancing around each other, when they’d be happier with each other. He also picked up on the lingering glance Kon would always have around Tim (glances everyone else appeared to be oblivious to).

Damian perched himself on the desk Drake was working at in the cave and waited patiently for the man to acknowledge his presence (he had been abnormally testy about people interrupting him while he was working lately). “More questions?”

“Are you aware Kon is infatuated with you?”

“What?” The surprised look on Drake’s face made Damian smirk in response and feel proud of himself for noticing something Drake hadn’t. “Don’t give me that look. What are you talking about?”

“Your best friend is harbouring feelings for you.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“He constantly stares at you when he knows you and Jason will not notice and he looks pathetic whenever the two of you kiss. You should do something about Reyes and Allen. It is nauseating to watch them.”

“Guess I need to have a talk with Kon. Don’t interfere with Jaime and Bart. They’ll figure it out in their own time. Pushing them won’t do them any good.”

“Fine. Are you considering foregoing your relationship with Todd for one with Kon?”

For the first time in their entire conversation, Drake actually turned to look at Damian with raised eyebrows. “Why would I do that?”

“Kon possess many of the characteristics you find attractive in Todd and he isn’t a miscreant.”

“Fair enough, but no.”

“Why?”

“Because Kon isn’t Jason and I’m in love with Jason.”

“That is a very weak argument.”

“Maybe to you.” Drake stood up shakily from his chair and moved to stand in front of Damian with his hip bracing him against the desk. “Just because Jason and Kon have things in common like being tall or enjoying sports or having a sore spot when it comes to family, doesn’t mean they’re the same. They have different personalities and that’s what’s important. I love Jason because of who he is, all the other things just make me love him more. Plus, he’s not much of a miscreant nowadays.”

“He wears a leather jacket, smokes, and carries lethal weapons on his person at all times. He is a walking cliché.”

“Jason barely smokes and doesn’t bring weapons to the manor anymore.”

“Since when?”

“Since when what?”

“Since when does Todd barely smoke? I have seen him indulge in that repulsive habit before. I would not call that barely smoking.” A small chuckle shook Drake’s small frame, making Damian wrinkle his face up in confusion. “What is so funny?”

“He’s working on quitting because of me.”

“I thought you said you did not mind his awful habit.”

“I don’t, but my immune system isn’t the best and Jay doesn’t want to complicate things by bringing frequent expose to cigarette smoke into the equation. He didn’t even tell me until he’d already been working on it for two months.”

“That is… considerate.”

“Yes, it is. You’ve got your re-evaluating face on.”

Damian huffed and jumped off the desk, so he could start preparing for patrol. “Every time I think I understand your relationship with Todd, I find new information I have to take into consideration.”

“How about you focus on taking out the shipment of firearms coming into the harbor? Jay and I’s relationship will be just as confusing when you get back.”

“It is not confusing, just constantly changing.”

“Now you’re starting to get it.” With a tired sigh, Drake slowly lowered himself back into his chair and motioned for Damian to head to the changing rooms. “Get dressed and be careful tonight. We don’t need another person side-lined.”

* * *

 

“Hey, Red. I have a question.”

The two women below them didn’t look up at the sound of Todd talking into his comm, but Damian was sure they’d eventually hear if he tried to have an entire conversation. “Be quiet. We are supposed to be stealthy. You will give away our position.”

“They’re too drugged up to even see straight. They won’t notice us.”

“You cannot be sure of that. It could be an act.”

“Trust me, it’s not an act.”

“Red, will you explain to Hood the need for silence.”

A heavy sigh crackled over the comm, then Drake’s voice filled their ears. “He’s right, Hood. Focus on the objective. Questions later. Maintain radio silence until the mission is complete.”

“What if it’s a really important question?”

“Does it pertain to the mission?”

“No, but it’s still important.”

“I’m sure it’ll still be important after the mission. Radio silence.”

“It’ll take five seconds.”

“Hood!”

“Promise it’ll be quick.” Damian turned to glare at Todd, he knew the other would know exactly what he was doing even with the domino on, but his curiosity was sparked when he noticed the way Todd’s hands were nervously clenching and unclenching at his side. “Just one question.”

“Fine, then radio silence. I mean it.”

“Will you marry me?”

There was a beat of silence, during which Damian watched Todd tugging anxiously at the hem of his jacket. “Did you just propose to me over the comms? Seriously!”

“Well you always said you didn’t want a traditional proposal.”

“That didn’t mean propose over the comms right before you bust a drug dealer!”

“Is that a yes?”

“No! Me saying yes is yes. That was me yelling at you for being ridiculous!”

“So yes?”

“You’re an idiot,” Even over the comm, Damian could tell Drake was smiling by the warm tone he was using. “and yes. Now focus on what you’re supposed to be doing, so you can get back here.”

“Will do. Ready to do this, Robin?”

“I have been ready. You were the distracted one.” Damian dropped to the ground below, making sure to keep the dealer pinned in and waited for Todd to drop down next to him. “Do you want to do the honors?”

“Is this your way of saying congratulations?”

“Make up your mind or I will do it for you.”

“Thanks, brat. Glad to know you approve.”

* * *

 

Damian let out another sigh as he was dragged to yet another store he would inevitable get bored in, just like all the others. He would have left long ago if he didn’t think Drake would track him down and drag him right back to wherever he wanted to go. This shop looked exactly like the last three they had been in and Damian was sure he’d be forced to go to another when Drake failed to find what he was looking for. In all honesty, Damian wasn’t even sure why Drake forced Damian to go with him instead of one of his friends.

“Find anything interesting?”

“No.”

“I know this is boring, but after I find what I’m looking for we’ll have lunch and go to the shelter. I know that’s the only reason you agreed to come.”

The defeated look on Drake’s face suddenly made Damian feel bad for acting like he would rather be fighting venomous snake than spending the day out with Drake. “What are you looking for?”

“A first edition of The Count of Monte Cristo for Jason. I know I could probably find it online, but Jason likes to stumble on first editions in small shops to support local businesses. So, I thought I’d try to find one in Gotham, before I looked online. I’m starting to think I won’t find one.”

“Why did you bring me? I am sure you would rather do something like this with one of your friends.”

“You’ve been asking more questions again and I thought a day out might be a good way to meet someone your own age. Being home schooled at the manor might make being Robin easier, but I’m sure it’s lonely. Maybe I’m overstepping, but you’ve come a long way from being that angry demon spawn you were when you first showed up in Gotham. I don’t want you to go back to that because you don’t have the opportunities you need to meet people.”

“I appreciate the thought, but I doubt I will happen to stumble across someone I could be friends or more with.”

“Have you ever heard of serendipity?” When Damian shook his head no, Drake got a small smile on his face. “It means finding something valuable or pleasant without meaning to. Life is full of serendipitous moments. You just have to be open to the possibility of them happening.”

“Sounds like fate.”

“Maybe or it’s luck. However you want to look at it, nobody can plan out their entire life. Some things have to happen spontaneously.”

“Perhaps. Father might be pleased if I bring home a person, instead of another pet.”

Drake let out a surprised laugh, then made a pleased sound as he pulled out a navy blue book with gold detailing. “He might. Alfred definitely would be. What do you think? Not too beat up. Jason likes them with a little character.”

“Todd would be thrilled if you bought him a packet of cheap socks.”

“That’s probably true, but I think he’ll appreciate this a bit more. Ideas for lunch? There’s a great sandwich shop two block away.”

“Todd mentioned something about Mediterranean food. It sounded intriguing.”

“Of course he did. I’ve been craving Mediterranean, but we haven’t gotten the chance to get any. We’ll have to catch a cab. I can’t walk that far.”

The store clerk gave Drake a flirty smile and leaned down further than necessary to get a bag for his book, so her cleavage was on display for him. It normally would have annoyed Damian that the woman was trying to seduce Drake while he was standing right next to him, but he knew the look on the woman’s face when she noticed his ring would be worth it. He’d already seen it countless times when he grabbed takeout with Todd after patrol. Their face would always twist into an unpleasant expression, that never failed to amuse Damian.

“Ready to go?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Have a nice day!” Drake waved goodbye at the woman with his left hand, giving her the perfect chance to catch sight of the thin titanium band on his finger and realize she never had a chance.

“You disappointed her.”

“I know.”

“Maybe next time she will not try so hard to impress a random stranger.”

“Quiet. She could be a perfectly lovely person. Now to food! I’m starving.”

* * *

 

“The ending still confuses me. They had plenty of time to leave. Why would they remain on the ship?”

“Dramatic effect? To have a bigger emotional impact on the audience? Any number of ridiculous reason.”

When Drake looped his arm through Damian’s and leaned his body against him, Damian made sure to slow his pace so Drake would be able to keep up with him. “It was boring and predictable. They should have left the ship.”

“It would have made for a happier ending. Honestly, all I got from that movie was disappointment. How does ice cream sound?”

“Better than that movie. It was a waste of my time.”

“It beats sitting at the manor while everyone else is out because of your ankle. Plus, it’s good to be out.”

“Father mentioned Todd has been trying to talk him into getting a night off.”

“I know I’m progressing faster than Dr. Thompkins expected, but it doesn’t make it any easier.” The sad smile on Drake’s face pulled Damian’s attention to the dark bags under his eyes. “It gets lonely. Without me out there to help, everyone else has to pull more weight and Jay and I don’t get a lot of time together because he’s busy at night and I’m busy during the day. The new product launch hasn’t helped. I’m working most weekends because we’re getting close to deadline and it’s just hard right now.”

“Have you talked to father about it? Surely he could find some time for the two of you.”

“No, it’s fine. Things will calm down after the launch. Two weeks.”

“In order to maintain a healthy relationship, you need to send time together and have proper communication.”

“When did you become an expert on love?”

“I am not, but I have been learning from the best.”

Drake’s head fell onto Damian’s shoulder and he clutched at his stomach with his free hand as he laughed loudly, drawing the attention of several people. “Thank you for that. I know you mean it.”

“Why would I not? The two of you genuinely love each other and it makes you stronger.”

“I remember when you used to think love was a weakness. You’ve grown a lot since then. Literally and figuratively. You’re going to be taller than me soon.”

“That is not a difficult feat.”

“Hush up and respect your elders.”

“At least I did not mention your greying hair.” Damian fought back a laugh at the affronted expression on Drake’s face, by focusing his attention on helping him through the ice cream parlor door. “Perhaps you will end up with a grey patch that matches Todd’s.”

“Very funny. Help me to one of the tables. My leg is killing me.”

“You should not have tried to walk for so long. I’m sure Dr. Thompkins did not mean for you to double your walk time when she said to push yourself a little harder.”

“Don’t lecture me. Jason will do that later.”

“And he is the only one you listen to. What flavor?”

“Mint chocolate chip and here. Take my card.”

“Father has-”

“I know, but I was the one that invited you out not the other way around.”

With a roll of his eyes, Damian grabbed the card and made his way to the counter. A boy around his age with red hair was so busy surveying the different flavors, he didn’t notice Damian until the man behind the counter tried to hurry him along. When his dark eyes turned to look at Damian, a strange sensation tugged at his gut and his hands started to feel clammy. The boy sent him a little smile and motioned for him to go before him in line, but Damian shook his head and turned his attention to the different flavors. Despite the fact he knew exactly what he wanted, Damian wanted some reason to strike up a conversation with the boy next to him.

“There are many options.”

“I know. I always have a hard time deciding.” The boy had an accent that made it obvious he had grown up on the streets of Gotham (it was the same one Todd would sometimes dip into when he was exhausted).  “My name’s Colin.”

“Damian.”

“Nice to meet you. If you’re wanting to try something new, the olive oil is incredible. I know it sounds weird, but it’s actually delicious.”

“I will try it, if you get the same.”

“Deal.”

After they both had their orders, Damian glanced over at Drake and wasn’t surprised to see him giving him a knowing look. “If you are not here with anyone, you are welcome to join me. I’m sure my brother will not mind.”

“I’d like that very much.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! I might end up writing a sequel with more Damian/Colin in it. For now, I should focus on my JayTim Secret Santa fics (I probably won't). Feel free to leave comments and kudos (I love them) or hit me up on Tumblr (SociallyAwkardFoxWriter). One day I'll learn how to link it. Today is not that day. Have fantastic day!


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